Jesus has clear expectations for those who follow him on The Way as disciples. Jesus says in
Matthew 6, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be
added to you.” Paul says in Ephesians chapter 4, “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to
grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined
and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly,
makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” And so, the church is called to a couple
things. One, we, as the body of Christ, are called to put the focus of God as our primary purpose.
Two, we are called to grow together as the body of Christ and not to grow primarily in the faith
as individuals.
To accomplish this at St. Paul, I am imploring all members to assist me in this growth. We are
seeking to strengthen our relationships with one another in spiritual matters. We are trying to
speak more about the actions of God in our lives. We are focusing more on God’s will and what
he can do through us. And so, the focus I want us to have going forward is of three-fold growth. I
want us to grow in worship together, not just on Sunday morning but praying together. I want
us to grow in faith together through investigating and talking about the Scriptures. Finally, I
want us to grow in service to one another and our community together.
So, nuts and bolts, how is this going to happen? First, I will be beginning shortly a new mentor
program with several fellow disciples of Christ here at St. Paul. The goal of this program is to
grow in faith together. It will involve praying together, sharing joys and grief, and studying the
Bible together. Second, I will be beginning a Disciples course in the fall. It will consist of 4 parts.
Bible, Catechism, Our Church, and Q & A. We will hopefully have this following church for 4
consecutive weeks. The hope with that course is that everyone in the church would attend it
once a year to be refreshed about our beliefs and goals.
We, St. Paul, must focus on our spiritual health so that we can be effective in reaching the lost
and telling them about what Jesus has done for us. I know many are busy with a number of
important things, but our spiritual life together must be a high priority if we desire the mission
of St. Paul to continue after we have joined the church triumphant. I hope and pray that you join
me on this journey and together we can bring the light of Christ to our city.
In Christ, Andrew Schlund, Pastor
